Fellow fiends:
The ever efflorescing Denise Thrope asks whether or not she should save the
appearantly rare tranny box sans 1st gear synchro but avec backup light
switch, instead of giving it away. You could put my supply of tranny
knowledge in a thimble; but that won't stop me from expressing my opinion.
I'm in the final stages (or is it throes?) of having an early OD box rebuilt
for Old Whitesides. The biggest problem with a rebuild on a tranny (at
least the early crashboxes, in my humble experience, having done it twice)
is not the bearings, not the synchro rings, not the backup light switch, and
not the gaskets... its the laygear. This is a lovely piece of metal that
takes a beating (what with worn or non-existant syncrhos and hot shoe
drivers) and is to the best of my knowledge essentially not possible to
"repair." You just try to find another one "out there" that is in
servicable shape. This probably goes double for the crash boxes as the 1st
gear teeth can be really knawed away. My understanding is that OEM old
stock lay gears are approaching $500 a piece. Good used ones command up to
half that price, maybe more as the years go by and demand increases. This
strikes me as one of those parts for the humble MGB, increasing in number AS
WE SPEAK, that is made of unobtanium.
So, my guess is that if someone with that 'rare' late '67 B with back up
lights but without 1st synchro needs a tranny rebuild, it won't be because
his/her reverse switch is broken. It will be because of other internal gutz
that are more (or less) available. If Ms. Thorpe's laygear is in good shape
she should save it (for herself)! Unless, that is, she wants to give it to me!
Will "talks a lot, don't he?" Zehring
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